Regional Government

18. Andrew George:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State when he expects the Government to publish new proposals for directly elected regional government in England. [30905]

The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Preston (Mr. Hendrick) on 2 July 2001, Official Report, column 80W.

23. Lawrie Quinn:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State if he will make a statement on establishing an elected regional assembly for Yorkshire and the Humber. [30911]

6 Feb 2002 : Column 937W

The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State:
The Government's plans for taking forward the manifesto commitment on elected regional government will be set out in the forthcoming White Paper on Regional Governance.

Ministerial Code of Conduct

19. Mr. Gray:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State if he will make a statement on the operation of the ministerial code of conduct. [30907]

The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State:
The Government's response to the Third Report of the Public Administration Select Committee on the ministerial code sets out their views on the operation of the code.

Personal Care (Scotland)

20. Annabelle Ewing:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State what co-ordination he has undertaken of Departments' assessment of the implications of the free personal care for the elderly in Scotland. [30908]

The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State:
In July 2000, DH Ministers announced that they intended to make care from a registered nurse free when provided in a nursing home. This was implemented in October 2001. At the same time, it was announced that personal care servicessuch as help with dressing and bathingwould continue to be provided on a means- tested basis.

The Scottish Executive similarly decided to make nursing care free in nursing homes. In January 2001 they also announced that, unlike in England, personal care would be made free too. These policies have not yet been implemented.

Both the Government and the Scottish Executive are committed to improving health and social care services for older people, but a different approach has been taken.

IT Management

21. Mr. Todd:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State what recent progress has been made in improving the quality of information technology management in government. [30909]

Mr. Leslie:
Successful implementation of IT enabled projects is important for the Government's delivery of improved public services and we are strengthening their management in a number of ways. During the last year all major procurement projects in central civil government have been required to undergo Gateway reviews at key decision points by teams of experts independent of the project team; projects can proceed to the next stage only when these rigorous tests have been met. We launched the Successful Projects in an IT Environment (SPRITE) Programme in January 2001 to work with Departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies to ensure that the recommendations to improve project delivery in the Successful IT: Modernising Government in Action report become embedded in their working cultures.

6 Feb 2002 : Column 938W

Climate Change

22. Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State what part his Department has in co-ordinating the Government's policy on climate change. [30910]

The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State:
The Cabinet Office provides support to me in my continuing role on international climate change discussions and negotiations on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister. It assists me in my work to foster effective relationships internationally at the highest political level. The UK's negotiating positions for international negotiations on climate change are agreed through the Cabinet Committee on the Environment, which I chair, and which is serviced by the Cabinet Office.

The lead Department for climate change is DEFRA, which retains policy responsibility, leads the negotiations in both international and EU fora and deals with day-to-day progress and implementation of the UK's policies. The Cabinet Office works closely with them and with other Departments with a key interest in strategic and cross-departmental issues.

Private Medical Insurance

Mr. Laws:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State how many employees in (a) his Department and (b) his Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies have had private medical insurance provided for them in each year since 199798; what the total cost is; and if he will make a statement. [32314]

Mr. Leslie:
The Civil Service Management Code (CSMC) prohibits Departments and agencies from providing staff with private medical insurance. The Cabinet Office and its agencies comply with this long- standing policy.

Although non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) are not bound by the conditions of the CSMC, I can confirm that none of those sponsored by Cabinet Office have paid for private medical insurance on any occasion.

Civil Servants

Mr. Gordon Marsden:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State what proportion of retired senior civil servants have undertaken paid work within the private sector in each of the last five years. [32908]

Mr. Leslie:
Figures are not held centrally, but I can answer on behalf of my own Department. Civil servants who wish to take up outside appointments within two years of their retirement are required to seek permission in the circumstances set out in the Business appointment rules. These rules are included in full in the civil Service Management Code.

Within the Cabinet Office in the last five years 18 people have retired from the Senior Civil Service. Of these, four, who retired in the years shown in the table, have submitted applications under the rules to take up paid work in the private sector.

6 Feb 2002 : Column 939W

Retirements

Made application to work in the private sector

1997

7



1998

3

1

1999

4

2

2000

3

1

2001

1



Mr. Gordon Marsden:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State what proportion of civil servants have spent the whole of their career within a single Department. [32909]

Mr. Leslie:
The information, by length of service, is given in the table.

Staff in post by known length of serviceApril 2001

Headcount

Length of service (years)

Staff who remain in the same Department

Total staff in post

Proportion who remain in the same Department (percentage)

Less than one

33,860

36,900

91.7

15

96,700

121,530

79.6

610

62,800

78,860

79.6

1115

63,660

90,530

70.3

1620

32,640

51,040

64.0

2125

31.030

51,460

60.3

2630

20,960

34,250

61.2

3135

10.170

16,780

60.6

3640

3,830

6,700

57.2

4145

740

1,190

62.2

46+

20

50

38.3

Total

356,390

489,270

72.8

This information depends for its accuracy on the reliability of data supplied by Departments to the Cabinet Office's Mandate database. Mandate covers around 97 per cent. of civil servants in Departments supplying information electronically.

Departmental Costs

Mr. Prisk:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State what the employment costs are, including benefits, of (a) Ministers representing the Cabinet Office and (b) special advisers and their supporting staff retained by the Cabinet Office. [8163]

Mr. Leslie:
The employment costs, including benefits, of Ministers representing the Cabinet Office is £248,000 per annum and the cost of their special advisers is £196,000 per annum. The estimated cost of Minister's private office supporting staff is £580,000.

Departmental Expenditure

Mr. Llwyd:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State if he will list his Department's total expenditure by month in each financial year since 199798. [32787]

Mr. Leslie:
I refer the hon. Gentlemen to the answer given on 4 February 2002, Official Report, column 692W.

Empty Properties

Mr. Bercow:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State what his estimate is of the (a) annual cost and (b) total value of the empty properties

6 Feb 2002 : Column 940W

owned by (i) his Department, (ii) his agencies and (iii) other public bodies for which he has responsibility in each of the last four years. [30078]

Mr. Leslie:
Information requested, covering 199798 to 200001 (inclusive), is set out in the table.

£

Year

Annual running costs

As at 31 March

Net book value

199798

484,000

1998

130,270

199899

562,000

1999

1,437,943

19992000

462,000

2000

173,875

200001

451,000

2001

139,400

Notes:

1. The above figures are for the 'Core' of the Department as none of its agencies nor non-departmental public bodies have owned any empty properties.

2. Figures are given on a net book value basis, as compiled for annual accounts purposes.

3. Excluded from the above figures is the project, commenced in 199899, to refurbish three vacant buildings. The first of those buildings (Admiralty Arch) was completed and occupied by staff in 200001. When the other two buildings (Kirkland House and the Ripley Building) are completed in 200203, they will form 22 Whitehall, one of the Department's major buildings.

With one exception, which is the subject of a forthcoming PFI, all buildings were surplus to the Department's requirements and were in the process of being disposed. This has now been completed.